Pubdate: Sun, 18 Feb 2007
Source: Winona Daily News (MN)
Copyright: 2007 Winona Daily News
Contact:  http://www.winonadailynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3177
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n120/a09.html
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n000/a018.html
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n199/a13.html
Author: Eric Mish

UNDERSTAND MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL

I recently read my e-mail and I am a subscriber to the Marijuana
Policy Project newsletter and was happy to see that Sen. Steve
Murphy's S.F. 345 has passed the first step in becoming a bill. Also
in this letter it pointed me to an article published in the Winona
Daily News by Deb Roschen, who bashed the thought of such a bill.

Such a letter shows how uneducated and closed-minded Deb is about
marijuana and its medical potential.

In her letter, she said, "Does Minnesota have enough prison
space,

lawyers and law enforce-ment ready for when legislators endorse
illegal drug use?"

Well, to simply answer her question, I say, "Yes."

With the legalization of medical marijuana, there will be fewer
innocent criminals in jail, that we the taxpayers pay thousands out of
our own pockets every year to keep locked up, making more room for the
serious offenders such as unethical doctors or people producing fake
or stolen registration cards.

Another point made by Roschen was, "And by the way, are you certain
teens will never raid parent's medicine cabinets and share this
miracle drug at school?"

Many otherwise illegal substances, such as cocaine and morphine, can
legally be prescribed by doctors. What is to stop your child from
getting a hold of these "legal" drugs?

Good parenting and education does, but that's a completely different
subject for a completely different time.

Eric Mish

Winona
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake